MYNAH respond witb questions andyour stories. Even lillIe bits q(irljormation cango a long MESSENGER: way-like no avocado and no cbocolate in 1997 mynab diets. You've aIL probably beard tbat before yet I still bear bOlTor sto17'es conceming Committees tbis onepoint. So, Mynab Maniacs-let's bearfrom you. l don't bave aIL tbe answers but tbere are some great owners and breeders out tbere from AVIAN RESEARCH Soutb Florida to California to Connecticut William Sager, D.V.M. 508-480-3101 and in between tbat would be proud to be of AVY AWARDS assistance uia tbe Mynab Messenger. Until next time - Fly right! CAPTIVE BREEDING SURVEY Suzanne '''Bird'' Howse 8201 Paso Robles Starr Kirkchoff 616-327-3399 Over the Hill Mynahs Blud. Fort Pierce. Florida 34951 - Voice ­ CITES (813) 8917083, Fa.x (561) 465-3368 77Jere Al Mc abney 510-945-1785 Greetings from "The Mynah Messenger... I is also a myllab newsleller. Write to: Mynab Rick jordan 512-858-7029 laue mynahs; tbey are magnetic mystic and News, Linda l£ger 641 Invadel; SulpbUl; CONSERVATION/SMAIL GRANTS marveLous. They are mischieuous in auicul­ Louisiana 70663 ture. PersonalLy. even ifthey did not "steal auI' Benny Gallaway 409-775-2000 I'oices" I would still be utterly capliuated by fax 409-775-2002 tbeirpersonalities. ynahs are magnetic! CONVENTION COORDINATOR They are no longer common aspets as they Whenever you see or hear Sharon Rosenblatt 703-255-3399 were in tbe 1950s and '60s but evelyone COOPERATIVE BREEDING PRGM remembers a jh·el7.d that bad a mynab. It M one, you are immediately Sharon Garsee 916-784-1314 would be great to see a resurgence of those drawn in for an eye-to-eye look. Closer DRAWING COORDINATOR days but, unless we empbasize breeding inspection of what appeared to he just Cathy Ford 805-684-0752 e./f0l1s witb tbe remaining u.s. and Canadian a black bird reveals a veil of iridescent mynab owners, a secure domestic future will EDUCATION/MEDIA SERVICES violet, blue, green and purple that Kelly Tucker 505-384-5490 be bard to come by. I cbecked Webster's New Ullil'ersal glimmers when caught by the light. fax 505- 384-5441 Unabridged DictionCII)''s definition of"myna: Black mynahs have a hallmark white ETHICS mynab: mina: any ofa group oftropical bints Larry Ring 916-885-7868 wing patch and a bright bill of candy­ of soutbeastern Asia related to tbe starling corn orange and yellow. Sides of the EXECUTIVE DIRECfOR family. Especially tbose tbat bal'e tbe ability to Robert J. Berry 713-434-8076 mimic buman speecb. And is often kept as head are decorated with bright yellow fax 713-433-3731 pets." flesh ribhons, called wattles, varying in FINANCE 77Jat definition is wbat tbe CIl'erage person length and pattern with suhspecies. jim Hawley bus 602-838-4770 perceiues. Mynahs are so mucb more, bOlvel'­ But looks aren't all that the Hill el; and witb tbe belp ojtbe WatcbbiJdjournal Fax 602-987-3389 Mynahs (Gracula religiosa) have going ILLEGAL BIRD TRADE we can get out irljormation, balJe aforum/or questions and answers, belp people locate for them. They are a complete home Marty Muschinske 619-468-3201 mates for tbeir birds and learn about our entertainment unit-intelligent, curi­ lEGAL COUNSEL fauorite "Black Cbickens" as my busband, Gary Lilient~al 617-345-0770 ous, haughty, comical to watch and Gene, so fondly calts tbem. capable of playing games to amuse lEGISLATION My mission is to belp you get tbe pel1inent Rick jordan 512-858-7029 illjo17nation you'll need to decide wbetber to themselves and you. They are the hap­ MEMBERSHIP purchase or breed mynabs. YOllr mission is to piest and hoppiest birds around, able Paddy Lambert 314-962-8186 NOMINATIONS AND ElECfIONS r--~-~-~--~----~--------~-~~-------"'~ Lorraine Smith ~ I Q) PUBliCATIONS c Q) Sheldon Dingle ph/fax 818-289-4400 (!J >. .c PHOENIX BUSINESS OFFICE o -0 .c Carol Inderrieden 602-484-0931 a.. fax 602-484-0109 WATCHBIRD STAFF Dale R.111ompson/ 805-252-4871 Editor in Chief fax 805-252-5861 Sheldon Dingle/ ph/fax 818-289-4400 Managing Editor M. jean Hessler/ 714-548-3133 Art Director fax 714-548-0420 Sharon Rosenblat/ 703-255-3399 Advertising fax 703-281-3140 or Phoenix Office Malejaua Hill Mynah, two months old. 10 March/April 1997 to cover a vast amount of territory without ever lifting a wing, especially Commercial Members when it is time to go back to their cage. Their ability to mimic is unsur­ Aardvark Imports, Santa Monica, CA High Sierra Bird & Supply, Inc., Reno, NV passed in the avian world. About Birds, Hebron, IL Higuera, Katherine, Seattle WA Hill Country Aviary, LLC, Dripping Springs,TX In the past, mynahs were imported Adsit, DVM, Schenectady, NY Allen's Aviaries, Rutherford, CA Hookbill Aviaries, Center Ridge, AR in great quantities; they were quite Albany Aquarium, Albany, NY JER Birds, Inc., Ocean Grove, NJ popular and inexpensive. This popu­ American Bird Center, Goulds, FL Jewels on Wings, Elko, NV larity has decreased in recent years. We And Feathers Bird Studio, Chicago, IL Jungle Enterprises, Homestead, FL have a strong desire to help regenerate Animal Affinity, Chicago, IL Just Parrots, Lexington, SC Animal Cove, Columbus, GA Kaytee Products, Inc., Chilton, WI the hill mynahs' popularity and avail­ Animal Crackers, Greendale, WI Kookaburra Pets, Carrolton, TX ability as domestic, hand-reared birds, Animal Environments, Carlsbad, CA L1M Animal Farms, Pleasant Plain. OH not as wild caught imports. We have a Aves International, Rancho Pales Verde, CA Lafeber, Cornell, IL responsibility to the mynahs to suc­ Avian Acres Exotic Bird Farm, Flemington, NJ Lawrence, Louis M., Fort Meyers, FL Avian Kingdom Supply, Inc., Dallas, TX Lima's Exotic Birds, Woodland Hills, CA cessfully breed them in captivity and to Avian Resources, San Dimas, CA Little Friar Aviary, Glendora, NJ stabilize their populations so mynahs Aviary of Naples, Naples, FL Living Design, Inc, Worthing, SO can survive. Avitech, Inc., Frazier Park, CA Loriidae Production Network, Woodlake, CA As a case in point, we have two Avocet Mfg., Ltd., Kirkland, WA Luv Them Birds, Goulds, FL B&H Birds, Bishop, CA M&S Aviaries & Pet Supplies, Bandera, TX Java Hill Mynah males and are having Banish, Theresa, Pinole, CA M.R. Pets, Inc.,Dale City,VA a "mynah boggling" time finding hens Bell's Exotics, Inc., Wrightsville, GA Magic Zoo, Rough and Ready, CA for them. Ninety percent ofthe domes­ Bird Country, Lewistown, MT Magnolia Bird Farm, Anaheim, CA tic Java Mynahs are directly related to Bird Hill Products, Paso Robles, CA Max Sharpe, Plant City, FL one pair (owned by Lynda Scott) Bird Is The Word, Batavia, IL Moyer & Son, Sounderton, PA Bird Shop, Sacramento, CA Mt Olympus Aviaries, Salt Lake City, UT which have produced 21 living off­ Birdlady's Babes, Atascadero, CA Murad, Aspen, CO spring to date. Bird-on-a-Stick, Merriliville, IN Nekton USA, Inc, Clearwater, FL If we had two unrelated pairs Birdeez Nutrition Center, Chandler, f\l. Newhall, Acampo, CA breeding successfully, it would con­ Birds Nest, Sacramento, CA Northcoast Bird Adoption & Rehab, TWinsburgh, OH Birds RUs, Sparta, IL Ohio Assoc of Animal Owners, Pleasant Hill, OH tribute greatly to the Java Hill Mynah Blue Skies Aviary, Whitwell, TN "Po Patch, The, Benton, MS gene pool. It may be difficult for some­ Boston Exotics, Action, MA Paradise for Birds Rehab, Cary NC one to give up their pet to participate Breeder Bird, Sylmar, CA Parrot Training Videos, Seattle, WA in a breeding program, however, Brown, W. D., Ragley, LA Parrot-dise, Anderson, SC C&F Parrot Farm, Chorpus Christi, TX Pasadena Parrots, Inc., Pasadena, CA exchanging an adult bird for a captive­ Caged Bird Hobbiest, Miami, FL Patty's Parrots, Booneville, MS reared baby has its advantages. The Calderin, Coral Gables, FL Picture Perfect Parrot, Berea, OH baby will be tame and will readily Cedar Hill Aviary, Northbranch, NY Pittman International, Anaheim, CA learn to talk. Upon reaching maturity, Clifton Bird Farm, Mesa, f\l. R&MAviaries, Hunlock Creek, PA Cock-a-Doodle Too, Richmond, VA Raintree Publications, Fort Bragg, CA the bird could again be traded for a Corners Ltd., Inc., Kalamazoo, MI Re'inolds Bird Refuge, Garden Grove, CA baby and the adult could be paired Country Critters,Ltd., Medford, NY Robin's Nest, Stockbridge, GA with an unrelated mate to begin a Crystal Parrot, Southampton, MA Ronie's For the Love of Birds, American Fork, UT whole new cycle of mynahs. Former Cuttlebone Plus, Fallbrook, CA Royal Bird & Supply Co., Lincolnton, NC Santa Barbara Bird Farm, Santa Barbara, CA mynah pets can start teaching their Darlene Sousa - Jewelry & Gifts, Sunol, CA Denise's Parrot Place, Mercer Island, WA Saunder's, W. B., Stockton, CA babies to talk while still in the nest. Di VinciLtd., Las Vegas, NV Scarlet Orchard Aviaries, Otis Orchards, WA Who knows, perhaps talking to the Dr. Gregory Alan Rich, DVM, Metairie, LA Schults Bird Farm, Langhome, PA eggs will affect the developing Earthrise, Bright & Healthy,Tolihouse, CA Skyline Garden, Martin Muschinske, Jamul, CA Stembridge, Carson, CA embryos, too. Eden's Nestbox, Eden, MD Exotic Birds, Richard Gilmore, Graham, TX Stoneridge Exotics, Summerfield, FL The hill mynahs are distributed Expandable Habitats, Rockton, IL Sugarcreek Bird Farm, Bellbrook, OH throughout India, Indonesia, the F& 0 Exotics, Princeton, FL Super Pets, Anaheim, CA Philippines and Southeast Asia. Once FM Brown's Sons, Inc. Sinking Springs, PA Swan Creek Supply, Saginaw, MI numerous in these areas, their num­ Fantastic Feathers, Port SI. Lucie, FL Swellands Cage & Supply Co., Ramona, CA Feather Friendy, Coral Springs, FL Topp Flock Aviary, Inc., Loxahatchee, FL bers are now dwindling rapidly due to Feather Freindzy, Astatula, FL Torrey's Parrot Place, Spokane, WA deforestation and loss of habitat.